Method and apparatus for providing contextual services

ABSTRACT

Provided are systems and methods for contextually providing services via a portable computer at a selected location. According to some embodiments, the systems and methods include processes for determining location-specific information about the selected location, determining status information about a user of the portable computer interface, and displaying an available service to the user on a display screen of the portable computer, the available service being selected based on the location-specific information and the status information, configuring a portable computer for transient use by a plurality of guests at a selected location.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/405,861, entitled “METHOD ANDAPPARATUS FOR PUBLIC COMPUTING,” filed Oct. 22, 2010, which applicationis incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to computers and, more particularly, tocomputer delivered contextual services.

2. Discussion of Related Art

Conventional computers include some type of storage, for example a “harddrive,” for storing files and system configurations, including programsor applications, documents, and other data. Generally, at least some ofthe data stored on a computer belongs to and/or is personal to thecomputer's owner or primary user. As a result, conventional computers donot lend themselves well to public use, since users may have concernsregarding the privacy of their data. In addition, conventional computersoffer little to no passive functionality, that is, when they are notbeing actively used by a user, and may therefore simply be a nuisance ina public space when not being used.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Aspects and embodiments are directed to methods and apparatus forproviding public computing and multi-dimensional contextual advertizingand/or provision of services. In one embodiment, a portable computerconfigured for public computing environments has a unique form factorthat is configurable between a laptop mode and an easel mode in whichthe computer has an inverted “V” appearance. The computer provides forboth an active experience in which the user is actively using acomputer, and a passive experience in which the computer displayscontent with little or no intervention by a user. As discussed in moredetail below, in one embodiment, the portable computer is configured tobe used transiently in sessions, the end of which the computer is resetto a default configuration and history of the session is erased, therebypreserving the privacy of the transient users. According to anotheraspect, based on its connectivity with the Internet, and informationabout the users derivable from the location of the portable computersand/or type of access granted during a user session, the portablecomputer can be configured to provide dynamically variable, targetedpromotional content, as discussed in more detail below.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a method ofconfiguring a portable computer for transient use by a plurality ofguests at a selected location is provided. The method comprisesdisplaying a first selection of content on a display screen of theportable computer, initiating a first session responsive to a firstguest of the plurality of guests accessing the portable computer via auser interface of the portable computer, creating a first guest profileresponsive to the first session being initiated, during the firstsession, displaying second selection of content on the display screen,the second selection of content comprising more available content thanthe first selection of content, terminating the first session responsiveto one of a termination action taken by the first guest and expirationof a time-out period, and erasing history of the first session on theportable computer responsive to termination of the first session.According to one embodiment of the present invention, displaying thefirst selection of content includes displaying a plurality ofphotographs associated with the selected location. According to anotherembodiment of the invention, displaying the first selection of contentincludes displaying information associated with the selected location.According to another embodiment of the invention, displaying theinformation includes displaying at least one of services available atthe selected location, weather information associated with the selectedlocation, and current events associated with the selected location.According to another embodiment of the invention, initiating the firstsession includes displaying a welcome screen containing informationabout the user interface of the portable computer.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, creating the firstguest profile includes accessing remote computer storage coupled to theportable computer via a network connection, and storing the guestprofile on the remote computer storage. According to another embodimentof the invention, the method further comprises erasing the first guestprofile responsive to termination of the first session. According toanother embodiment of the invention, erasing history of the firstsession further includes clearing cookies and web history created duringthe first session restoring a default configuration of the userinterface to display the first selection of content, and resettingdevice configurations of the portable computer, including at least oneof volume and screen brightness, to default settings. According toanother embodiment of the invention, displaying the second selection ofcontent includes displaying a home view comprising a plurality of cards,each card configured to provide access to associated content.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a portable computersystem configured for transient use by a plurality of guests isprovided. The portable computer system comprises a portable computerhaving a display screen, a display manager, and user interfaceconfigured to accept inputs from the plurality of guests and to displaycontent on the display screen, and remote computer storage coupled tothe portable computer via a network connection, wherein the portablecomputer is configured to initiate a first session responsive to aninput received from a first guest of the plurality of guests via theuser interface and to store a first guest profile on the remote computerstorage, and to terminate the first session responsive to one of atermination action taken by the first guest and expiration of a time-outperiod, wherein terminating the first session includes erasing historyof the first session on the portable computer, and wherein the displaymanager is configured to manage a plurality of views of computer contentin the user interface, and to control the user interface to display afirst selection of content on the display screen prior to initiation ofthe first session and after termination of the first session, and todisplay a second selection of content on the display screen during thefirst session, the second selection of content comprising more availablecontent than the first selection of content. According to one embodimentof the present invention, the second selection of content includes ahome view comprising a plurality of cards, each card configured toprovide access to associated content. According to another embodiment ofthe invention, the plurality of cards includes at least one web cardthat maps to a web page, and at least one channel card.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the portablecomputer system further comprises a communication component configuredto access a web-based content, and wherein the display manager isconfigured to display the web-based content on the display screenresponsive to guest selection of the at least one web card. According toanother embodiment of the invention, the portable computer systemfurther comprises an execution component configured to execute a firsttransformation from an unfocused view of a first card of the pluralityof cards into a focused view of the first card responsive to computerfocus on the first card, and wherein the execution component is furtherconfigured to execute a second transformation from the focused view ofthe first card into the unfocused view of the first card upon loss ofcomputer focus on the first card. According to another embodiment of theinvention, the focused view of the first card includes a header displayand a body display, wherein the header display comprises at least onecontrol displayed in the header display, and wherein the control isconfigured to execute computer-based functionality in response toexecution by the first guest.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the portablecomputer is located in a first location at a partner facility andfurther comprises at least one additional portable computer located in asecond location at the partner facility, and a partner profile stored onthe remote computer storage, the partner profile specifying a firstconfiguration of the portable computer and a second configuration of theat least one additional portable computer. According to one embodimentof the present invention, a first card of the plurality of cards is abranded card having a visual appearance corresponding to a brand of thepartner facility. According to another embodiment of the invention, thebranded card is configured such that it cannot be deleted by any guestof the plurality of guests. According to another embodiment of theinvention, the visual appearance includes at least one of a color schemeand a logo.

According to one aspect a non-transitory computer-readable medium havingcomputer-readable instruction stored thereon that, as a result of beingexecuted by a computer, instruct the computer to perform a method forconfiguring a portable computer for transient use by a plurality ofguests at a selected location is provided. The method comprisesdisplaying a first selection of content on a display screen of theportable computer, initiating a first session responsive to a firstguest of the plurality of guests accessing the portable computer via auser interface of the portable computer, creating a first guest profileresponsive to the first session being initiated, during the firstsession, displaying second selection of content on the display screen,the second selection of content comprising more available content thanthe first selection of content, terminating the first session responsiveto one of a termination action taken by the first guest and expirationof a time-out period, and erasing history of the first session on theportable computer responsive to termination of the first session.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, displaying thefirst selection of content includes displaying a plurality ofphotographs associated with the selected location. According to anotherembodiment of the invention, displaying the first selection of contentincludes displaying information associated with the selected location.According to another embodiment of the invention, displaying theinformation includes displaying at least one of services available atthe selected location, weather information associated with the selectedlocation, and current events associated with the selected location.According to another embodiment of the invention, initiating the firstsession includes displaying a welcome screen containing informationabout the user interface of the portable computer.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, creating the firstguest profile includes accessing remote computer storage coupled to theportable computer via a network connection, and storing the guestprofile on the remote computer storage. According to another embodimentof the invention, the method further comprises erasing the first guestprofile responsive to termination of the first session. According toanother embodiment of the invention, erasing history of the firstsession further includes clearing cookies and web history created duringthe first session restoring a default configuration of the userinterface to display the first selection of content, and resettingdevice configurations of the portable computer, including at least oneof volume and screen brightness, to default settings. According toanother embodiment of the invention, displaying the second selection ofcontent includes displaying a home view comprising a plurality of cards,each card configured to provide access to associated content.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a computer systemconfigured for transient use by a plurality of guests at a selectedfacility is provided. The computer system comprises a plurality ofportable computers including a first portable computer and a secondportable computer, the first and second portable computers being locatedat different locations at the selected facility, and each portablecomputer including a network connection, a display screen, a displaymanager, and a user interface configured to receive inputs from theplurality of guests and to display digital content on the displayscreen, and computer storage separate from the plurality of portablecomputers and coupled to each of the plurality of portable computers viathe respective network connection, the computer storage including afacility profile specifying a first content configuration for the firstportable computer and a second content configuration for the secondportable computer, the first and second content configurations beingdifferent, wherein each portable computer is configured to initiate afirst session responsive to an input received from a first guest of theplurality of guests via the user interface, and to terminate the firstsession responsive to one of a termination action taken by the firstguest and expiration of a time-out period, wherein the display manageris configured to manage a plurality of views of computer content in theuser interface, and to control the user interface to display a firstselection of content on the display screen prior to initiation of thefirst session and after termination of the first session, and to displaya second selection of content on the display screen during the firstsession, the second selection of content comprising more availablecontent than the first selection of content, and wherein the pluralityof views of computer content for the first and second portable computersare determined based on a first and second content configurations,respectively.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a method ofcontextually providing services via a portable computer at a selectedlocation is provided. The method comprises determining location-specificinformation about the selected location, determining status informationabout a user of the portable computer interface, and displaying anavailable service to the user on a display screen of the portablecomputer, the available service being selected based on thelocation-specific information and the status information. According toone embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprisesdetermining time-based information, and wherein the available service isselected based on the location-specific information, the statusinformation and the time-based information. According to anotherembodiment of the invention, the selected location is a hotel; andwherein the status information includes the user's status a guest at thehotel. According to another embodiment of the invention, thelocation-specific information includes services offered at the hotel.According to another embodiment of the invention, the location-specificinformation includes at least one of weather information, news, and anevent at the selected location.

According to one embodiment, the method further comprises accepting aninput from the user via the portable computer interface to allow theuser to purchase the available service, and updating a user profile toindicate purchase of the available service. According to anotherembodiment of the invention, the method further comprises linking aplurality of portable computers located at the selected location to forma group of portable computers including a first portable computer and asecond portable computer. According to another embodiment of theinvention, the method further comprises updating the available servicedisplayed on the display screen of the second portable computerresponsive to user activity on the first portable computer. According toanother embodiment of the invention, the user activity on the firstportable computer includes purchase of the available service by theuser. According to another embodiment of the invention, displaying theavailable service includes displaying the same available service on thedisplay screen of each portable computer in the group of portablecomputers, the available service being selected based on thelocation-specific information and the status information of the user ofthe first portable computer.

According to one aspect a non-transitory computer-readable medium havingcomputer-readable instruction stored thereon that, as a result of beingexecuted by a computer, instruct the computer to perform a method forcontextually providing services via a portable computer at a selectedlocation is provided. The method comprises determining location-specificinformation about the selected location, determining status informationabout a user of the portable computer interface, and displaying anavailable service to the user on a display screen of the portablecomputer, the available service being selected based on thelocation-specific information and the status information. According toone embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprisesdetermining time-based information, and wherein the available service isselected based on the location-specific information, the statusinformation and the time-based information. According to anotherembodiment of the invention, the selected location is a hotel; andwherein the status information includes the user's status a guest at thehotel. According to another embodiment of the invention, thelocation-specific information includes services offered at the hotel.According to another embodiment of the invention, the location-specificinformation includes at least one of weather information, news, and anevent at the selected location.

According to one embodiment, the method further comprises accepting aninput from the user via the portable computer interface to allow theuser to purchase the available service, and updating a user profile toindicate purchase of the available service. According to anotherembodiment of the invention, the method further comprises linking aplurality of portable computers located at the selected location to forma group of portable computers including a first portable computer and asecond portable computer. According to another embodiment of theinvention, the method further comprises updating the available servicedisplayed on the display screen of the second portable computerresponsive to user activity on the first portable computer. According toanother embodiment of the invention, the user activity on the firstportable computer includes purchase of the available service by theuser. According to another embodiment of the invention, displaying theavailable service includes displaying the same available service on thedisplay screen of each portable computer in the group of portablecomputers, the available service being selected based on thelocation-specific information and the status information of the user ofthe first portable computer.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a computer systemconfigured to contextually provide services to a plurality of transientusers at a facility located at a specified location is provided. Thecomputer system comprises a plurality of portable computers located atthe facility, each portable computer including a network connection, adisplay screen and a user interface configured to receive inputs fromthe plurality of transient users and to display digital content on thedisplay screen, computer storage separate from the plurality of portablecomputers and coupled to each of the plurality of portable computers viathe respective network connection, and a facility computer systemcoupled to the computer storage and to the plurality of portablecomputers, the facility computer system configured to providefacility-specific information to the plurality of portable computers,wherein the digital content displayed on the display screen of a firstportable computer of the plurality of portable computers includes anavailable service selected based on status information of at least oneof the plurality of transient users and at least one of thefacility-specific information and location-specific information aboutthe specified location.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first portablecomputer is configured to receive the location-specific information fromthe Internet via the network connection. According to another embodimentof the invention, the location-specific information includes at leastone of weather information, news, and events within a predetermineddistance from the specified location. According to another embodiment ofthe invention, available service is further selected based on at leastone of a time and a date of access of the first portable computer by theat least one transient user. According to another embodiment of theinvention, the facility-specific information includes an event at thefacility. According to another embodiment of the invention, the facilityis a hotel and wherein the status information includes the at least onetransient user's status as a guest at the hotel. According to anotherembodiment of the invention, the plurality of portable computers furtherincludes a second portable computer; and wherein the first and secondportable computers are linked to form a group. According to anotherembodiment of the invention, the digital content displayed on thedisplay screen of the second portable computer includes the sameavailable service displayed on the display screen of the first portablecomputer. According to another embodiment of the invention, the digitalcontent displayed on the display screen of the second portable computerincludes content selected based on interaction of a first transient userwith the first portable computer.

Other aspects, embodiments, and advantages of these exemplary aspectsand embodiments, are discussed in detail below. Any embodiment disclosedherein may be combined with any other embodiment in any mannerconsistent with at least one of the objects, aims, and needs disclosedherein, and references to “an embodiment,” “some embodiments,” “analternate embodiment,” “various embodiments,” “one embodiment” or thelike are not necessarily mutually exclusive and are intended to indicatethat a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described inconnection with the embodiment may be included in at least oneembodiment. The appearances of such terms herein are not necessarily allreferring to the same embodiment. The accompanying drawings are includedto provide illustration and a further understanding of the variousaspects and embodiments, and are incorporated in and constitute a partof this specification. The drawings, together with the remainder of thespecification, serve to explain principles and operations of thedescribed and claimed aspects and embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various aspects of at least one embodiment are discussed below withreference to the accompanying figures, which are not intended to bedrawn to scale. Where technical features in the figures, detaileddescription or any claim are followed by references signs, the referencesigns have been included for the sole purpose of increasing theintelligibility of the figures, detailed description, and claims.Accordingly, neither the reference signs nor their absence are intendedto have any limiting effect on the scope of any claim elements. In thefigures, each identical or nearly identical component that isillustrated in various figures is represented by a like numeral. Forpurposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every figure.The figures are provided for the purposes of illustration andexplanation and are not intended as a definition of the limits of theinvention. In the figures:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of one example of a portable computerconfigured in a laptop mode, according to aspects of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an illustration of an example of a portable computerconfigured in an easel mode, according to aspects of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of one example of a computersystem;

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of one example of a portablecomputer user interface architecture according to aspects of theinvention;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of one example of a home view of a userinterface for a portable computer according to aspects of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of one example of components thatoperate in conjunction to retrieve web content and render a display ofthat content on a computer system, according to aspects of theinvention;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of one example of a welcome screen of a userinterface for a portable computer according to aspects of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of one example of initiating a guest session ona portable computer, according to aspects of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of one example of a home view screen withinstructional bubbles, according to aspects of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of one example of a multi-page home viewscreen, according to aspects of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of one example of a focus view of a cardaccording to aspects of the invention;

FIG. 12 is a functional block diagram of one example of a computernetwork system according to aspects of the invention; and

FIG. 13 is a functional block diagram of another example of a computernetwork system according to aspects of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects and embodiments are directed to a portable computer configuredfor public computing environments that is configured for simplicity andease of use with a focus on the Internet. In one embodiment, theportable computer has a unique form factor that is configurable betweena “laptop” mode in which the computer has a “clam-shell” appearance, andan easel mode in which the computer has an inverted “V” appearance. Thecomputer is also configurable between an active mode in whichinteraction with a user is a primary aspect of the user interface, and apassive mode in which interaction with a user is absent or minimal. Theunique form factor, user interface and dual active and passive modes ofembodiments of the portable computer offer many benefits in publicspaces, including significant passive functionality as well as secure,easy-to-use Internet access and web-focused operations for transientusers.

According to one embodiment, the portable computer 100 is provided in apublic space by a “partner,” generally the owner or manager of thepublic space or a portion thereof. The partner acts as an administratorof the portable computer and defines certain aspects of the userinterface for the portable computer and the computer's functionality, asdiscussed further below. Within the public space, the portable computeris used intermittently by multiple transient users, also referred to asguests. Guests may have some ability to configure the portable computerto tailor their own computing experience, but these configurations arealso transient, as opposed to the more persistent configurations definedby the partner, and end with the end of the user's interaction with thecomputer, as discussed below.

In one embodiment, the portable computer is integrated with a computingcloud, such that only minimal data is stored locally on the deviceitself, as also discussed below. This configuration is particularly wellsuited to use in public environments by multiple transient users becauseany personal user data is not stored on the device itself (which couldlead to privacy concerns), but instead is stored and/or accessed via thecloud, as discussed further below. Based on its connectivity with theInternet, as well as information such as its location and type of guestsprovided with access, the portable computer can be configured to providemulti-dimensional contextual advertisements and services that are notavailable through conventional advertizing mechanisms. For example, abillboard may provide passive, location-based advertizing, but is notdynamically configurable or responsive to any particular viewer. Bycontrast, embodiments of the portable computer may have access tolocation, environmental (e.g., weather, local events, etc.), and/orguest status (e.g., the guest is a hotel guest, a library member, etc.)information and therefore may be configured to provide dynamicallyvariable contextual advertizing and/or services that are not onlylocation-based, but also environment-based and/or status-based, asdiscussed in more detail below. Thus, the portable computer may offerbenefits to both the partner and the guests that are not availablethrough conventional computing devices.

It is to be appreciated that embodiments of the methods and apparatusesdiscussed herein are not limited in application to the details ofconstruction and the arrangement of components set forth in thefollowing description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Themethods and apparatuses are capable of implementation in otherembodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in variousways. Examples of specific implementations are provided herein forillustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limiting. Inparticular, acts, elements and features discussed in connection with anyone or more embodiments are not intended to be excluded from a similarrole in any other embodiments. Also, the phraseology and terminologyused herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regardedas limiting. Any references to embodiments or elements or acts of thesystems and methods herein referred to in the singular may also embraceembodiments including a plurality of these elements, and any referencesin plural to any embodiment or element or act herein may also embraceembodiments including only a single element. References in the singularor plural form are not intended to limit the presently disclosed systemsor methods, their components, acts, or elements. The use herein of“including,” “comprising,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” andvariations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter andequivalents thereof as well as additional items. References to “or” maybe construed as inclusive so that any terms described using “or” mayindicate any of a single, more than one, and all of the described terms.Any references to front and back, left and right, top and bottom, upperand lower, and vertical and horizontal are intended for convenience ofdescription, not to limit the present systems and methods or theircomponents to any one positional or spatial orientation.

Referring to FIG. 1 there is illustrated one example of a portablecomputer 100 that is configurable between a “laptop” mode (in which theportable computer has a conventional laptop appearance, as illustratedin FIG. 1) and an “easel” mode in which the base 104 of the computer andits display component 102 stand upright forming an inverted “V,” asdiscussed further below and illustrated in FIG. 2. The base 104 includesa keyboard 106 and internal electronic components (not shown), such as acentral processing unit, memory, and other components necessary tooperate the portable computer, as known to those skilled in the art. Insome embodiments, the base 104 may also include input devices inaddition to the keyboard 106, such as, for example a touch pad 108 ortrackball (not shown), for receiving user commands, as known to thoseskilled in the art. In one embodiment, the display component 102includes a display screen 110 that displays digital content, asdiscussed further below. The display component 102 may also includecushions 112 that provide soft contact points between the base 104 andthe display component 102 when the portable computer is closed. In oneexample, the cushions 112 are made of rubber. However, it is to beappreciated that the invention is not so limited, and the cushions 112may comprise materials other than rubber, including, for example, apolymer, felt, or other suitable materials as would be recognized bythose skilled in the art given the benefit of this disclosure.

In the laptop mode, the display component 102 is inclined at a viewingangle from the base 104, as illustrated in FIG. 1 The display component102 and base 104 are pivotably coupled together by a hinge assembly (notshown) that allows the display component and base to be rotated withrespect to one another. The hinge assembly may include a single ormultiple hinges, which may be any of a variety of hinge types,including, but not limited, to single-axis hinges, multiple-axis hinges,geared hinges, etc. In one example, the hinge assembly allows thedisplay component 102 and the base 104 to be rotated (or tilted) about alongitudinal axis 114 running along an interface between the displaycomponent and the base 104. Rotating the display component 102 and/orthe base 104 about the longitudinal axis 114 configures the portablecomputer 100 from the laptop mode into the easel mode, illustrated inFIG. 2, or vice versa.

Referring to FIG. 2, in the easel mode, base 104 and the displaycomponent 102 form an inverted “V” shape with the bottom of the base andthe back of the display component face another. In the easel mode, thedisplay screen 110 is visible and accessible on one side of the portablecomputer 100 and the keyboard 106 (not shown in FIG. 2) is visible andaccessible on the other side. When the portable computer 100 is in theeasel mode, the base 104 is disposed at an angle relative to the displaycomponent 102. This angle is adjustable, for example, to allow acomfortable viewing angle to the display screen 110 to be maintained fordifferent positions of a user and of the portable computer 100.According to one embodiment, when the portable computer 100 isconfigured into the easel mode, the visual display on the display screen110 is automatically rotated 180 degrees such that the informationappears “right-way-up,” even through the display screen is upside-downcompared to when the portable computer is in the laptop mode. Thus, auser may simply “flip” the portable computer 100 into the easel mode andimmediately be able to comfortably view information on the displayscreen 110, without having to access display screen controls to adjustthe orientation of the visual display.

In one embodiment, the portable computer 100 includes an orientation (ormode) sensor that is configured to detect whether the portable computeris in the laptop mode or the easel mode, and to adjust the displayaccordingly. The orientation sensor may be incorporated into the basecomponent 104, for example, underneath the keyboard 106, or into thedisplay component. In one example, locating the orientation sensor inthe display component 102, rather than the base 104, may provide morerobust detection and therefore, may be presently preferred in someembodiments. The orientation sensor may be used to determine a preciserelative orientation of the base component 104 with respect to thedisplay component 102, or vice versa, for example, to determine whetherthe device is in the laptop mode, easel mode, or some point in betweenthe two modes. In one example, the orientation sensor includes anaccelerometer whose output is fed to the computer operating system (orto dedicated logic circuitry) which then triggers a display inversion asappropriate.

According to one embodiment, the portable computer 100 includes one ormore additional navigation devices, such as a scroll wheel 116. In oneexample, the scroll wheel 116 is positioned, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,such that it is rotatable about the longitudinal axis 114 running alongthe interface between the display component 102 and the base 104.Accordingly, positioning the scroll wheel 116 on the longitudinal axis114 may have certain advantages, including providing accessibility tothe scroll wheel in the different configuration modes of the portablecomputer; however, it is to be appreciated that the scroll wheel may beplaced in any convenient or suitable location on the portable computer,not limited to the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The scroll wheel 116may be used alone or in conjunction with one or more keys (for example,dedicated navigation keys) on the keyboard 106.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of some components of an example ofthe portable computer 100, in which various aspects of the presentinvention may be practiced. For example, various aspects of theinvention may be implemented as specialized software executing in one ormore computer systems including multiple computer systems communicatingover network. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the computer 100 includes aprocessor 310, a memory 320, one or more input devices 330 (such as thekeyboard 106 and scroll wheel 116) and one or more output devices 340(such as the display screen 110) interconnected by an interconnectionmechanism 350. The interconnection mechanism 230 enables communications(e.g., data, instructions) to be exchanged between system components ofthe computer system 100. The interconnection mechanism 230 may includeone or more physical busses (for example, busses between components thatare integrated within a same machine), or may include any communicationcoupling between system elements including specialized or standardcomputing bus technologies such as IDE, SCSI, PCI and InfiniBand. Theportable computer 100 may further include a storage device 360, asdiscussed further below. The portable computer 100 may programmableusing a high-level computer programming language.

In one example, the processor 310, which may include one or moremicroprocessors or other types of controllers, can perform a series ofinstructions that result in manipulated data. The processor 310 may be acommercially available processor such as an Intel PENTIUM, MotorolaPowerPC, SGI MIPS, Sun UltraSPARC, or Hewlett-Packard PA-RISC processor,but may be any type of processor or controller as many other processorsand controllers are available. The processor may also execute a shellprocess that manages at least a portion of the hardware elementsincluded in computer 100. The shell may be provided in addition to orintegrated with a conventional operating system which can include, amongothers, a Windows-based operating system (for example, Windows NT,Windows 2000 (Windows ME), Windows XP, or Windows Vista) available fromthe Microsoft Corporation, a MAC OS System X operating system availablefrom Apple Computer, one of many Linux-based operating systemdistributions (for example, the Enterprise Linux operating systemavailable from Red Hat Inc.), a Solaris operating system available fromSun Microsystems, or a UNIX operating systems available from varioussources. Many other operating systems and/or shell processes can beused, and embodiments are not limited to any particular operating systemor shell process. The processor and operating system together define acomputer platform for which application programs in high-levelprogramming languages are written. It is to be understood that theinvention is not limited to a particular computer system platform,processor, operating system, or network. Also, it should be apparent tothose skilled in the art, given the benefit of this disclosure, that thepresent invention is not limited to a specific programming language orcomputer system.

The memory 320 may be used for storing programs and data duringoperation of the portable computer 100. Thus, the memory 320 may be arelatively high performance, volatile, random access memory such as adynamic random access memory (DRAM) static memory (SRAM), or Flashmemory; however, the memory 320 may include any device for storing data,including a non-volatile storage device. In various embodiments, thememory 320 can be organized into particularized structures to performthe aspects and functions disclosed herein. The storage 360 may includea computer readable and writeable nonvolatile storage medium in whichinstructions are stored that define a program to be executed by theprocessor 310. The storage system 360 also may include information thatis recorded, on or in, the medium, and this information may be processedby the program. The instructions may be persistently stored as encodedsignals, and the instructions may cause a processor to perform any ofthe functions described herein. The medium may, for example, be a flashmemory. The processor 310 generally manipulates the data within thememory 320, and then copies the data to the storage 360 after processingis completed. A variety of mechanisms are known for managing datamovement between the storage 360 and memory 320.

In one embodiment, the portable computer 100 does not incorporate massstorage (i.e. a hard drives), instead the system is configured to employRAM and Flash memory storage (memory 320 and storage 360 discussedabove) to accommodate basic operation and local functions, with massstorage capability being provided remotely via the Internet, asdiscussed further below. Thus in some embodiments, traditional featuressuch a download, have been configured to operate differently for thecomputer 100. In one example, operations that require large amounts ofcomputer storage are transformed into remote storage requests. In oneembodiment, the portable computer 100 is configured to identify localstorage requests and transform them into a storage request to an on-lineservice provider identified in a user and/or device profile. In anotherembodiment, the system prompts a user to identify a service provider inresponse to a local request. Various operations may be transformed,including download and print operations, among others.

Still referring to FIG. 3, the input device(s) 330 and output device(s)340 allow the computer 100 to exchange information and communicate withexternal entities, such as users and other systems. Input devices 330may accept information from external sources. Examples of input devices330 include, among others, the keyboard 106, scroll wheel 116, mousedevices, trackballs, microphones, touch screens, and network interfacecards. Output devices 340 may render information for externalpresentation and transfer information to external entities. Outputdevices 340 may include, for example, the display screen 110, printingdevices, speakers, video cards and separate video memory for improvedprocessing performance, and network interface cards.

The portable computer 100 may include specially-programmed,special-purpose hardware, and various aspects discussed herein may beimplemented in software executing on hardware, hardware or firmware, orany combination thereof. Although the portable computer 100 and thefunctional block diagram of FIG. 3 are shown by way of example as onetype of computer system upon which various embodiments may be practiced,aspects of the invention are not limited to being implemented on thecomputer system as shown in FIGS. 1-3. Various aspects and functions inaccord with the present invention may be practiced on one or morecomputers having a different architectures or components than thoseshown in FIG. 3. Examples of a special-purpose portable computer onwhich various aspects and embodiments in accord with the presentinvention may be practiced are discussed in more detail in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/170,939 filed on Jul. 10, 2008 and U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/170,951 filed on Jul. 10, 2008, both of whichare herein incorporated by reference in their entireties.

According to one embodiment, one or more portions of the computer systemmay be distributed across one or more computer systems coupled to acommunications network. For example, various aspects of the inventionmay be distributed among one or more computer systems (e.g., servers)configured to provide a service to one or more client computers, or toperform an overall task as part of a distributed system. For example,various aspects of the invention may be performed on a client-server ormulti-tier system that includes components distributed among one or moreserver systems that perform various functions according to variousembodiments of the invention. In one embodiment, an Internet cloud ismaintained on server systems accessible from a plurality of devices.These components may be executable, intermediate (e.g., IL) orinterpreted (e.g., Java) code which communicate over a communicationnetwork (e.g., the Internet) using a communication protocol (e.g.,TCP/IP). It should be appreciated that the invention is not limited toexecuting on any particular system or group of systems. Also, it shouldbe appreciated that the invention is not limited to any particulardistributed architecture, network, or communication protocol.

According to one embodiment, the portable computer 100 is configuredwith a primary focus on the Internet or “web.” As such, the portablecomputer 100 is integrated with remote content storage and access toprovide seamless access to content stored remotely via the Internet. Theintegration with remote storage services, which may be provided by athird party and/or may be specific to the portable computer, permitsreduced storage capacity on the portable computer 100 itself. Forexample, as discussed above, in one embodiment the portable computer 100does not include a hard drive or other local mass storage device.Rather, data, such as programs, files, digital content (e.g., photos,videos, audio files, etc.), documents, etc., are stored remotely in the“cloud,” accessed via the Internet. Certain core or basic data and/orprograms may be stored locally on the portable computer 100 using thememory 320 and/or storage 360; but the bulk of “user data” and digitalcontent is stored remotely in the cloud. As used herein the term “cloud”is intended to refer to computer readable/writable storage devices thatare remote from the portable computer 100 (i.e., not part of the samephysical device) and accessible from multiple locations and/or devices(e.g., multiple different portable computers 100) via the Internet.Reducing and/or eliminating the need for non-volatile storage in thecomputer system is advantageous in that the portable computer 100 may bereduced in complexity and/or cost. In addition, this configuration makesthe portable computer 100 particularly well suited to use in publicenvironments by multiple transient users because any personal user datais not stored on the device itself (which could lead to privacyconcerns), but instead is stored and/or accessed via the cloud usingsecure user identification techniques, as discussed further below.

Referring to FIG. 4 there is illustrated a functional block diagram ofone example of a portable computer user interface architecture accordingto one embodiment. As discussed above, the portable computer 100interfaces with the cloud 410 where the bulk of the data and/or digitalcontent used/accessed by the portable computer is stored on digitalstorage media controlled by the portable computer service provider. Inone example, a shell process and/or the processes it instantiatesmanages communication between the portable computer 100 and the cloud410 (e.g., the Internet) to permit access to cloud based services andcloud based content to a user of the portable computer 100. Cloud-basedservices and the cloud-based content accessed can be of any type,including any web-based content. Typically, the cloud based content andcloud based services includes services made available by third partyproviders, either for free or requiring payments.

The user interface includes a “home” view 420 that provides access to aplurality of modes of content 430, as discussed further below. Variousprograms, features, applications and information may be organized intothe different modes of content such that by selecting a particular mode,a user may access the content organized within that mode. In theillustrated example, the home view 420 contains five modes of content430; however, it is to be appreciated that the home view may includemore or fewer than five modes of content and that the modes of contentmay differ from the examples discussed below. For example, a “web” mode440 may provide access to Internet browsing and searching; and a“channel” mode 450 may provide access to different functionality of theportable computer 100, with various features and functions defined asdifferent channels, as discussed further below. For example, the channelmode of content 450 may include an alarm clock channel in which theportable computer 100 is configured to display a clock and can beprogrammed to activate an alarm at a predetermined time. Another exampleof a channel is a “photo frame” channel in which the portable computeris configured to display a pre-selected image or set of images, etc.Another example of a channel is a “television” channel, in which theportable computer is configured to stream Internet television. These andother examples of channels are discussed in more detail below. Some orall of the modes of content 430 may access, retrieve and/or storeinformation on the cloud 410. In one embodiment, the home view 420 isthe default view when the portable computer enters the active mode, asdiscussed further below.

According to one embodiment, visual representations of different modesof content 430 are rendered as cards. According to one aspect, cards canbe viewed as the building blocks of the user interface, providing accessto a plurality of views and/or content. Cards render computer content(e.g., web-based, application specific, etc.) depending on a particularview that is currently active on the portable computer. Cards present aconsistent and intuitive interface between a user and the computercontent associated with a particular card. Each card displays summaryinformation of available content accessible through that card and/orpresents a visual indication of available functions accessible throughthat card. Different types of cards may be employed to render differenttypes of available content, features and functionality. For example,web-based content may be rendered as a web card that is associated witha mapping to web content. Some web cards map directly to web pages andin response to selection of the web card the portable computer executesthe mapping and displays a web view of the content. A shell process maybe provided that can control the instantiation and display of the cardsshown in a user interface. The shell can be configured to providedifferent views of a card based on a mode of operation and/or a selectedview. Other cards may be used to provide interactive displays selectableby a user. For example, channel cards correspond to the channels set upon the portable computer. For example, for an Internet TV channel, acorresponding channel card may be configured to stream web-based contentusing an RSS feed. Web cards and channel cards are building blocks ofthe user interface managed by the shell to be displayed to an end useron a web optimized device. The views of the cards managed by the shellare configured to permit easy selection of the web-based contentassociated with the card.

The displayed cards and the views of the cards provided can beconfigured to be responsive to a mode of operation for the device, underthe control of a shell process that among other functions manages thedisplay of cards in the user interface. The particular visualization ofthe card and/or the view of multiple cards can be transitioned toanother view based on changes of the mode of operation. Reference tomodes of the computer and modes of the device can include aspects of thephysical configuration of the portable computer/device, as illustrated.The portable computer is capable of different display formats andfunctionality in the different modes, and includes a graphical userinterface that can work seamlessly with the computer hardware to providea unified, comfortable, holistic user experience. A more detaileddiscussion of embodiments and examples of a card-based system forrendering computer based content in visual representations is discussedin U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/416,479, filed on Apr. 1, 2009and entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR STREAMLINING USER INTERACTION WITHELECTRONIC CONTENT,” which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

Accordingly, referring to FIG. 5, the home view 420 may include adisplay of one or more cards 510, each card providing access to computerbased content. As illustrated in FIG. 5, in one example, the home view420 includes a header region 570 and a body region 580 in which theplurality of cards 510 are arranged and displayed. Since web-basedactivity is a focus for at least some embodiments of the portablecomputer 100, the home view header 570 may include a search bar 560 toallow users easy access to web browsing directly from the home view 420.The header region 570 may include aspects selected by the partner, forexample, a logo, image or tag-line associated with the partner's brand.These “brand” aspects may be provided alone or in conjunction withanother image or logo associated with the portable computer serviceprovider's brand; however, as referred to herein “brand” aspects orelements are intended to refer to aspects associated with the partner'sbrand, unless otherwise stated. According to some embodiments, the homeview 420 is the primary mechanism for permitting users to access cards510 and navigation through content viewed on the portable computer 100,and therefore may be the default view when the portable computer 100enters the active mode. In the home view 420, a user can access open websessions, view and manage channels, initiate new web sessions, andlaunch other activities. According to one embodiment, the home view 420is configured to manage and organize the cards 510. The home view 420provides a simple and convenient interface for navigating through thefeatures and content accessible through the portable computer 100 byorganizing and managing cards 510.

Still referring to FIG. 5, each card 510 in the home view 420 mayinclude a header 520 which runs along the top of the card and displays atitle of the card, and a body 530 that displays a summary of the contentavailable through that card. For example, the body 530 of a channel cardmay comprise a visualization of an RSS feed from the web site source.For non-RSS-based channels, the body 530 of the channel card may displayan image associated with the channel content, for example, a small clockfor an alarm clock channel or a relevant picture for a photo-albumchannel. In one example, a web card presents a thumbnail view of thecurrent state of the associated web page. Each card may also incorporateaspects of the partner's brand, such as, for example, using a colorscheme associated with the partner's brand, and/or brand logos orimages. Different types of cards (e.g., channel cards and web cards) mayuse different variations of an overall color scheme so as to provide animmediate visual distinction between the different types of cards. Theheader 520 may also optionally include a “favicon” 540 which may beretrieved from the website being viewed in the case of web and channelcards, for example, or may be a custom image that suggests the channelcontent to the user. The header 520 may also include an “options” menu550 which reveals the card options, and may in some embodiments invokean animation of the card flipping over to reveal selectable options onthe “back” side of the card, as discussed in more detail below.Rendering different features and functions of the portable computerconsistently as cards, each having a similar appearance, provides aneasy-to-use interface for a user to access a variety of differentaspects without having to “decode” a complex or unfamiliar computerarchitecture. This card-based user interface is thus particularlywell-suited to transient use for short periods of time by userspotentially unfamiliar with the portable computer, as occurs in publicenvironments.

Each card can be configured to render web-based content via operation ofa browser process and any additional plug-in required to display itsrespective content. In particular, FIG. 6 illustrates an example blockdiagram of components that operate in conjunction to retrieve webcontent and render a display of that content in the form of a card. Inthe illustrated example, a card is presented by operation of a browserengine 610 communicating over a top level communication channel 620 toan xserver process 630 and a shell process 640 which manages the displayof the card in a user interface. The shell 640 can be configured tomanage the compositing of the content to be rendered by xserver process630. In some embodiments, shell 640 provides commands to the xserverprocess 630 to render display controls within the displayed content. Inother embodiments, the shell 640 can be configured to composite thebrowser content with display controls and pass the result to the xserver630 for rendering. The browser engine 610 can also be configured toexecute a flash plug-in 650 to render flash based content, and thebrowser engine can communicate the combined and/or flash content to berendered, via the communication channel 620 to the shell 640 and/or thexserver 630.

Alternatively, a flash engine 660 can be executed on its own to presentcontent for compositing by the shell 640 and/or rendering by the xserver630. In one embodiment, each of the component processes can be executedas its own java script engine, with the top level communication channel620 configured to permit communication between the components. Inanother embodiment, each java script engine can be configured withbindings to native code bases to execute the desired functionality. Inone example, native C libraries can be exposed to the engines as JScriptobjects to be executed by the java script engines. According to someembodiments, cards that employ flash plug-ins or utilize a separateflash engine are limited to one invocation of a flash process. In otherembodiments, each card can be configured to execute its own flashinstance. In some examples, each of the flash instances can beconstrained by a memory bound. The memory bound can be configured foreach card individually. In other embodiments, the memory bound can beconfigured by the type of card.

In addition, according to some embodiments, the shell can be configuredto receive content directly from a web-based source and pass the contentto rendering engine (e.g. xserver 630). Thus, according to someimplementations, the content for a card can be entirely controlledwithin the shell 640. In some examples, functions associated with abrowser engine 610 can be embedded within the shell 640 to permit theshell to directly control the content associated with a particular card.

Embodiments of the portable computer 100 may be configured for transientuse in a wide variety of public environments, such as, for example,hotels, libraries, schools, service offices (e.g., doctors' offices,dentists' offices, etc.) airports, and/or coffee shops. Transient usagebrings with it a host of requirements that do not apply in private/homeuser, notably including protection of the transient users' personalinformation, and providing useful “passive” operation. In public spaces,goals of the portable computer 100 include both providing the transientusers with useful content and a seamless web computing experience thatis easy to use, and providing benefits to the partner by, for example,offering increased revenue opportunities through multi-dimensionalcontextual service-providing, as discussed further below.

According to one embodiment, the portable computer 100 is configured tooperate in sessions. During a session, a transient user (also referredto as a guest) may interact with the portable computer, create cards,make changes, and generally use the computer as one would in a privatesetting. Once a session ends, all history of that session is permanentlycleared to make way for the next guest. In this manner, guest privacy ispreserved because no personal information, data, or even settings isretained once a session ends. In one embodiment, sessions use apseudo-login and pseudo-logout to provide guests with a familiarinterface by which to initiate and end a session, as discussed furtherbelow. The portable computer 100 may also be configured to operate, andoptionally provide some limited interaction with guests outside of asession. In particular, the portable computer may operate in the passivemode outside of a session.

As discussed above, embodiments of the portable computer 100 areconfigured for both an active mode and a passive mode. In oneembodiment, while the active mode may resemble a more traditionalcomputer experience, providing interaction with the keyboard and otherinput devices (e.g., a mouse), the passive mode offers limitedinteraction and emphasizes a TV-like experience of content. In oneembodiment, the passive mode is a content viewing mode that is triggeredwhen no user interaction with the device occurs for some predefinedperiod of time. The passive mode may be thought of a screen saver mode;however, the passive mode maybe specially configured to permit theportable computer to act as a passive information and/or entertainmentdevice, such as a photo frame or clock, and the display can beconfigured to provide useful function even when the device is not beingactively used. The portable computer may do so, for example, in the inthe easel mode without taking up much surface area on a desktop. Thepassive mode is particularly well suited for portable computers inpublic spaces where direct interaction with guests occurs onlyintermittently, and the computers may sit idle for significant amountsof time. In the passive mode, the portable computer 100 may displayinformation selected by the partner, for example, photo slideshows,local news, and/or information such as weather, nearby events, availableservices at the location, etc. Accordingly, the portable computer may beconfigured to operate in the passive mode “outside” of a session, andtherefore all passive functionality, and channels associated therewith,remains active outside of a session, as discussed further below. In oneembodiment, the portable computer may also have limited active modefunctionality outside of a session; however, the dominant mode ofoperation outside of a session may be the passive mode.

In the passive mode, the portable computer generally displays a channelview, which is a full-screen view of a selected channel. The channeldisplayed in the passive mode may be user-selected within a session, asdiscussed further below, or partner-defined outside of a session. Thedefault configurations of the portable computer, in particular of thehome view 420, are set by the partner in conjunction with the portablecomputer service provider. The partner may configure the defaultappearance of the portable computer user interface both within sessionsand outside of a session. Session configurations provide a system thatenables partners to curate the guest experience. Outside of a session,configuration settings may allow the partner to define the look of,functionality of, and information provided by, the portable computer,including the channel(s) to be displayed in the passive mode. The systemis flexible, allowing partners to define unique configurations forgroups of portable computers according to their location and needs. Inone embodiment, the configuration process includes choosing defaultcards for the home view, configuring the network, localizing theinterface, and defining the default settings for each portable computer.

According to one embodiment, default configurations for the portablecomputer, or group(s) of portable computers, owned by the partner arestored in the cloud under a partner profile. The partner profile, insome examples, is retained in remote storage in the cloud 410, andaccessed upon start up of any portable computer associated with thepartner. The partner profile permits guest experiences to be consistenteven across multiple portable computers. In the partner profile, thepartner may define the guest experience on the partner's portablecomputers by defining one or more configurations. Configurations definewhich cards appear in the home view 420 as well as the default settingsfor the portable computer(s). Partners may create, edit and deleteconfigurations by logging into to their guest profile in the cloud 410.Because configurations and customizations are retained in remote storagein the cloud; changes on one portable computer may be written to theremote storage, propagating changes across multiple portable computersthat access the remote storage. Thus a common experience is alsoprovided across multiple portable computers.

In one embodiment, the portable computer service provider defines abasic default configuration, referred to as the “portable computer”configuration, that provides a starting point from which the partner maycustomize one or more configurations. The portable computerconfiguration may include one or more default cards visible in the firstpage of the home view 420. For example, the portable computerconfiguration may include a weather channel card, an alarm clock channelcard, a home-page web card, and a new web card. As discussed above, aweb card is associated with a URL linking to a web page. In one example,the home-page web card corresponds to the portable computer serviceprovider's home page. In another example, the home-page web cardcorresponds to the partner's home-page, or the partner's proxy sign-inpage that allows guests to access the Internet using the partner'snetwork service. The partner may configure the home-page web card in apartner configuration. The home-page web card may have any correspondingURL selected by the partner. Partners who just want to provide thesimplest web browsing experience may opt to use a popular search engine,for example; coffee shops or airports with paid wireless services maychoose to show a welcome screen detailing the program and providing alog in screen; restaurants may offer a menu; hotels may provide awebsite promoting services and nearby attractions at their specificlocation. The new web card is a blank web card that allows guests,within sessions, to define their own custom web cards linked to webpages of their choice, as discussed further below. In one example,whatever the partner's choice for the home-page web card URL, every newweb card created shows the partner-specified home-page by default, untilreconfigured by a guest during a session. The home-page web card itselfwill always be locked to the partner-selected URL and cannot be changedby a guest.

Within a partner configuration, the partner may add additional “branded”cards to the cards provided in the portable computer configuration. Acollection of branded cards may be defined by the partner as cards whichprovide core functionality. Branded cards may include channel cards, webcards and/or system cards. System cards may map to specificfunctionality or content defined by the partner, such as, for example,restaurant or room-service menus for hotel partners, local area maps,etc. As discussed above, a partner's branded cards may incorporateelements of the partner's brand, such as a particular color scheme, logoitems, etc. In one example, only the partner's branded cards may displaythe brand elements. In other examples, all cards may incorporate thepartner's brand elements, optionally with variations in the color schemeor other visual aspects of the cards differentiating between portablecomputer default cards, partner-defined cards, and user-defined cardsadded by guests during their sessions. In one embodiment, partner brandcards, in addition to any of the default cards provided in the portablecomputer configuration, cannot be deleted by guests. The inability toremove these cards from the home view 420 prevents guests frominadvertently removing cards which are integral to the services providedby the partner, such as a room service menu in a hotel, or a searchdatabase in a library. Branded web cards may include cards that map topredetermined web pages selected by the partner. For example, a hotelpartner may configure a web card that maps to the hotel's (or hotelchain's) website.

In one embodiment, in the partner configuration, the partner may alsodefine one or more preferred channels to which the portable computerautomatically returns when in the passive mode, outside of a session,after being left idle for a predetermined time period. The predeterminedtime period, for example, 1 minute, 5 minutes, etc., is set by thepartner in the partner configuration. In one example, when the portablecomputer is being operated within a session, the portable computerremains on the last selected channel, giving full control to the guestto choose which channel they wish to display when the computer is idle.Outside of a session, however, the portable computer displays thepreferred channel selected by the partner. For example, the partner maychoose to show the welcome channel by default, to grab the attention ofguests and immediately inform them of how to begin interacting with thedevice. In another example, the partner may prefer to display aslideshow, news channel, or a custom channel with pre-selected content.For example, a partner may set up a branded photo channel to provide aconvenient way for the partner display their photos and otherpromotional material in a visually engaging manner. In another example,a partner may define a custom channels with custom channel content toserve specific purposes, such as a food service menu in a hotel, or acard catalog search in a library.

Individual photo channels may access photos stored in the cloud 410under the partner's profile, or via an RSS feed to a photo storage website. In one example, branded photo channels are defined by either asingle URL for an RSS feed containing image content or a public link toan album on a supported photo service. The content for custom brandchannels may be uploaded directly to the cloud 410 and stored under thepartner profile. Custom brand channels, and the content associatedtherewith, are defined by unique channel identifiers. RSS news channelsmay also be branded. Channel cards may be associated with websites thatinclude one or more RSS feeds. Accordingly, referring again to FIG. 5,in one example, the header 520 of a channel card 510 may include achannel source selector (not shown) that allows a user to select whichRSS feed source to display when the channel is activated. In anotherexample, the channel card will display a plurality of RSS items one at atime through the channel card, thus the content in a channel cardperiodically changes, until all content items have been displayed. Atthat time the channel cards starts again from the beginning displayingeach one of the plurality of source items. In one example, branded newschannels have a single source. Therefore, the channel source selector inthe header 520 that usually appears for websites with multiple RSS feedsis omitted to ensure that the content chosen by the partner remainsselected. Accordingly, in one example, branded news channels are definedby a single RSS feed URL.

According to one embodiment, the cards that appear in the default homeview 420, and the order in which they appear, is defined by a card listspecified in the partner profile. Since cards are a fundamental elementof the portable computer user interface, choosing particular cards toshow by default facilitates providing a useful and engaging experiencefor guests. The partner may define a list of cards that may then be usedin one or more of their portable computer configurations. In oneexample, the portable computer configuration defines a basic list of thecards that appear in the default home view 420, and a list of cardsdefined by the partner is added to the basic list of cards, such thatthe union of these sets may be referenced from any of the partner'sconfigurations. In one example, the order of the cards within the cardlist defines the default order in which the cards appear in the homeview 420. In one example, the new web card always appears at the end ofthe list, and cannot be removed or repositioned. An example card listmay include the following cards, for example: a weather channel card, aclock channel card, a first branded photo channel card, a branded newschannel card, one or more branded custom channel cards, the home-pageweb card, one or more branded web cards, a second branded photo channelcard, and a new web card.

According to one embodiment, defaults for the portable computer userinterface, both within and outside sessions, are defined according to acascading configuration system. As discussed above, partners may defineone or more configurations. Each configuration may contain one or moreconfiguration layers. Within a configuration with multiple layers, thelowest layer in the configuration overrides the higher layers, much likecascading style sheets. Table 1 below illustrates an example of howseveral configurations using shared configuration layers could be usedwithin a hotel property to customize portable computers for distinctareas and rooms. In one example, the default “portable computer”configuration, defined by the portable computer service provide asdiscussed above, is always the highest layer. Therefore any cards andsettings defined therein may be overridden by subsequent layers in thecascading configuration. While configurations and configuration layersprovide a powerful system for managing several distinct groups ofportable computers, many partners may find a single configuration withonly one custom configuration layer to be sufficient for their needs.Accordingly, although multiple configuration layers may be provided,embodiments of the portable computers discussed herein do not requiremultiple configuration layers.

TABLE 1 Hotel room Hotel suite Hotel lobby Hotel pool Hotel gym 1portable 1 portable 1 portable 1 portable 1 portable com- com- com- com-com- puter puter puter puter puter 2 hotel 2 hotel 2 hotel 2 hotel 2hotel 3 room 3 room 3 lobby 3 health 3 health 4 suite 4 pool 4 gym

There are many variations on the above example of a cascadingconfiguration system. Partners may add or remove configuration layers tocustomize portable computers for a variety of different locations oraccess levels. For example, a hotel chain might define several distinct“hotels” at the second layer, allowing each hotel to present specific,customized content, such as, for example, local news or sportsinformation, specific restaurant or room-service menus, etc. Theconfiguration system may also support a calendar so that, for instance,the configurations assigned to a specific set of devices can be changedbetween weekend and weekdays, or for special events. Custom channelsincluded within the card list may accept one or more parameters thatdefine the appearance and behavior of that channel in a specificcontext. Since these contexts may vary based on the configuration, theconfiguration provides a mechanism for specifying the channelparameters. As discussed above, embodiments of the portable computer 100are heavily reliant on the Internet or some other network access to thecloud. According to one embodiment, since the majority of the data andprograms used by the portable computers is stored in the cloud 410, theportable computers require a network connection to function, andtherefore a default network setup may be required as part of theconfiguration process. In one example, every configuration contains atleast one configuration layer which defines a chosen network for theportable computers to access.

Various settings of the portable computers may also be defined in theconfiguration process. For example, settings available to be defined mayinclude parameters which directly affect the behavior of the portablecomputers, such as the delay before which the portable computerautomatically ends a session, or the default channel to display inpassive mode. In one example, the following specific settings aredefined: a time period for automatic session sign-out, the durationspent idle before a sign-out prompt appears, the home-page URL, and aURL defining the default page shown when a new web card is created.

Each configuration may enable (“add”) or disable (“remove”) cardsdefined within the card list. In one example, this process is akin toflipping a visibility switch on the card, as opposed to literally addingor subtracting cards. If multiple configuration layers within a givenconfiguration enable the same card, that card only appears once withinhome view 420. In one embodiment, cards defined within the card list areall assumed to be disabled by default within any configuration.Accordingly, if no configuration layer explicitly enables that card, itwill not appear within the home view 420 on any portable computersassigned to that configuration. The opposite scenario, i.e., all cardsbeing enabled by default, may alternatively be implemented. By default,the positions of the cards are defined by the order of the card list, asdiscussed above. However, configurations may override the position ofthe cards by assigning them a relative position. In one example, therelative position is any non-negative integer. Cards are orderedaccording to their relative position, with lower numbers, for example,appearing first in the home view 420. If multiple cards are assigned thesame relative position they appear adjacent to each other in the homeview 420 in the order that they appear within the card list. In oneexample, cards appear in the home view 420 in the following order:first, all cards with explicit relative positions specified within thecascading configuration, in increasing order, and according to theirorder in the card list when multiple cards have the same relativeposition in a given configuration; second, all cards without explicitrelative positions, according to their order in the card list; andlastly, the new web card. Thus, a card with a relative position of 999will appear before all other cards in the card list if the other cardsare not assigned relative positions in the configuration. In oneexample, the new web card always appears last.

The configurations and settings defined by the partner under the partnerprofile define the default look and feel of the partner's portablecomputers, and their behavior outside of a session. Within a session, aguest may add new cards, rearrange cards within the home view 420, andinteract with the portable computer in a variety of ways, as discussedbelow. However, when a guest's session ends, the portable computeralways returns the default configuration set up by the partner.

As discussed above, the portable computer 100 may operate in the passivemode in either the laptop mode or the easel mode. Some partners mayprefer to initially configure the portable computer 100 into the easelmode when placing it in a public space, since the footprint of thedevice is smaller in easel mode and the appearance of the device may bemore pleasing. Guests may be unfamiliar with the portable computer,particularly when it is configured in easel mode. Accordingly, in oneembodiment the portable computer is configured to display a “basics”channel when a user initiates interaction when the portable computer isin the passive mode outside of a session. Displaying the basics channelmay occur, for example, when the portable computer is picked up, thescroll wheel is moved, or a key is depressed. In one embodiment, thebasics channel contains a brief welcome message and instructionalinformation, such as, for example, a diagram informing the user how toconfigure the device from the easel mode into the laptop mode, and viceversa. The basics channel may also display information instructing theuser how to access the web and other services. The basics channel mayalso be available as a channel card in the home view 420 when theportable computer is in the active mode within a session. In thisinstance, selecting the basics channel card “opens” the channel andprovides information such as for showing the guest how to enter thepassive mode to view their selected content in a passive, TV-likeexperience. According to one embodiment, a parameter associated with thebasics channel specifies whether or not network access is offered by thepartner for free or for a specified payment, and the basics channel maydisplay a message informing the guest of network access options. Networkaccess and options for access are discussed in more detail below.

According to one embodiment, when a guest user begins to interact withthe portable computer, and thus the computer enters active mode, a firstscreen that is displayed to the guest is a “welcome” screen. The welcomescreen provides a portal through which a guest may initiate a session,and serves to introduce the portable computer to the guest. The welcomescreen may also display any necessary or desired legal disclaimers oragreements defined or selected by the partner. The welcome screen may bedisplayed continuously when the portable computer is not in use, or maybe displayed responsive to an event. In one embodiment, the welcomescreen is part of the basics channel in the passive mode. In oneexample, the welcome screen appears automatically after a predeterminedtime period (e.g., 30 seconds or 1 minute) from when the basics channelis accessed in the passive mode. In another example, the basics channelmay include a “welcome” icon that, when clicked by a guest, causes theportable computer to display the welcome screen. Alternatively, thewelcome screen may appear responsive to the guest rotating or pressingthe scroll wheel, or another input device, when the portable computer isdisplaying the basics channel and is in the passive mode. According toanother example, the welcome screen may appear automatically when theportable computer is configured from the easel mode into the laptopmode, outside of a session. As those skilled in the art will appreciate,given the benefit of this disclosure, there are many mechanisms andoptions by which the welcome screen can caused to be displayed, andembodiments of the portable computer are not limited to applying any oneparticular mechanism.

Referring to FIG. 7, there is illustrated a block diagram illustrationof one example of a welcome screen. The welcome screen provides astarting point for guests who may be unfamiliar with the portablecomputer and its user interface, while allowing those who are familiarwith it to access the user interface quickly and easily. Accordingly,the welcome screen 700 may include a welcome “bubble” 710 or otherprominent text (including message 720) that identifies the portablecomputer and as a simplified web computer and instructs a guest on howto initiate a session. In one example, the welcome bubble 710 mayinclude an image selected by the partner, for example, an imageassociated with the partner's brand. The message 720 may also point outa “sign out” button 730 in the header 570, and inform the guest thatthey can click it at any time to end their session and erase any traceof their use of the portable computer. In one example, the welcomescreen 700 may be a version of the home view 420 discussed above, andthe welcome bubble 710 may appear over a plurality of “grayed-out” cards510 that would become fully visible in the home view after the guestinitiates a session. In this example, the search bar 560 may also beshown “grayed-out” in the welcome screen.

In one example, the welcome bubble 710 includes a checkbox 740,unchecked by default, and requires the guest to agree to the terms ofservice of both the portable computer service provider and the partnerbefore being able to initiate a session. The welcome bubble 710 may alsoinclude a “get started” or similar button 750 which the guest may clickto initiate a session. In one example, the “get started” button 750 isdisabled until the checkbox 740 is checked. In one embodiment, while thefull terms and conditions agreement is hidden away so as not tointimidate guests, a link from within the checkbox label 760 provides away to access the complete text inline before entering a session. In oneexample, the terms of service replace the contents of the welcome bubble710 in a scrolling view, below which “Decline” and “Accept” buttons mayappear. Both of these buttons may return the guest to the initialwelcome screen 700, with the “Accept” button also implicitly checkingthe checkbox 740. This behavior ensures that even if a guest enters theterms of service and then leaves the device, the next guest to arrivewill still see the initial welcome screen. In one example, if the termsof service screen is left idle for more than a preset period of time,for example, 60 seconds, the portable computer may assume that the guesthas left, and the welcome screen may return to its default state. When aguest clicks the “get started” button after agreeing to the terms ofservice, the welcome screen may fades out to reveal the home view 420beneath, and the guest's session is initiated.

According to one embodiment, when a guest session is initiated, a guestprofile is created in the cloud 410 under the control of the portablecomputer service provider. The creation of this guest profile allows theguest to modify the home view 420 by adding cards, select channels,access web pages, and various other activities within a session, asdiscussed further below. In one embodiment, at the end of the session,the guest profile is erased, thereby preserving the guest's privacy andreturning the portable computer to its default configuration inpreparation for arrival of the next guest. In another embodiment, theguest profile is persistent and linked to the partner. For example, forhotels that offer rewards programs, a guest profile may be associatedwith the guest's rewards program membership number. In this example, thewelcome screen may include a checkbox or other interface item thatallows the guest to identify his/herself as a rewards program member andenter his/her membership number. If the guest chooses this option, a newguest profile may be created and associated with the membership numberfor new guests, or for returning guests, the guest is “logged-in” totheir existing profile. This allows guests to configure the portablecomputer and, when they return to the same hotel, hotel chain, or otherpartner location, to access their existing profile which contains theconfigurations the guest has previously made. In another embodiment,guests who have a private portable computer from the portable computerservice provider may access their existing profile associated with theguest service provider, and the portable computer will be automaticallyconfigured according to the guest's profile and therefore resemble theguest's own portable computer.

Referring to FIG. 8 there is illustrated a flow diagram of one exampleof initiating a guest session on a partner's portable computer. In afirst step 810, the welcome screen is displayed. The partner mayoptionally configure the portable computer to display login options,either as part of the welcome screen, or as a separate screen thatappears after the guest clicks the “get started” button 750. These loginoptions may include querying whether or not the guest is already amember of the portable computer service provider (PCSP) community (step815), and/or querying whether or not the guest is a member of thepartner's rewards program (step 820). It is to be appreciated that theterm “rewards program” as used herein is intended to refer genericallyto any loyalty program, preferred customer program, or other membershipprogram offered by the partner, not limited to programs actuallyoffering rewards. These login options may be offered together, orsequentially. If no additional login options are offered by the partner,or if the guest indicates “no” to either or both queries (depending onwhat options are offered by the partner), the portable computer willproceed directly to the default home view 420 (step 825) and create atransient guest profile (step 820), as discussed above. It is to beappreciated that steps 820 and 825 may be performed in either order orsimultaneously.

If the guest indicates that they are a member of the portable computerservice provider community, the guest may be requested to identifyhim/herself to the device by entering a user name and password. Once theuser name and password are accepted, the guest's profile in the cloudwill be accessed (step 830). Instead of displaying the default home view420, the portable computer may instead display the guest's personal,customized home view (step 835) retrieved from the guest's profile.Remote storage in the cloud 410 is accessed to retrieve the guest'sprofile. Changes to profile may be copied to the remote location orchanges in the profile may be retrieved from the remote location. If theguest indicates that they are a member of the partner's rewards program,the portable computer may determine whether or not the guest is a newguest (step 840), meaning that the guest has not accessed one of thepartner's portable computers before, or whether the guest is a returningguest who already has a guest profile associated with their rewardsprogram membership number. If the guest is a returning guest, theguest's existing profile may be accessed (step 850), and the home viewwill be displayed including any configurations which the guest haspreviously stored in their profile (step 855), as discussed furtherbelow. If the guest is a new guest, a guest profile will be created(step 820) and the default home view is displayed (step 825).

According to one embodiment, since the portable computer user interfacemay be new to many guests, the home view may be configured to initialdisplay one or more instructional bubbles to point out importantfeatures in the interface to guests. For example, referring to FIGS. 7and 9, after a guest clicks the “get started, button 750 and the welcomescreen disappears to reveal the home view 420, a transient dialog bubble910 appears from the “sign out” button 730, with a message 920 tellingthe guest to click this button when they are finished using the portablecomputer. The message may also inform guests that their session will endautomatically after a certain time period, or other event occurs asdiscussed further below. An instructional bubble 930 may also appearover the new web card 940 informing guests that this is the card to useto open new web pages and create new cards, as discussed further below.Other instructional bubbles may appear at various stages within asession to inform guests of available features or options, for example,how to return to the home view from another view, or how to access orcreate a channel, etc. As discussed above, outside a session, switchingfrom the passive mode to the active mode may reveal the welcome screenshown atop a dimmed home view. In contrast, within a session switchingbetween the active and passive modes preserves context by keeping theguest within the channel they switched from.

In one embodiment, rather than initially populate the home view withmany channel cards, the partner may instead opt to use a “channel store”card. The channel store card is a card that when selected by the guestdisplays a list of channels available to the guest. Optionally, the listof channels may include a small image relevant to the content of thechannel. A guest may select any channel(s) in the list, and uponselection, a channel card corresponding to the selected channel appearsin the home view 420. The channel store may be useful to assist guestsin finding and adding channels even during transient usage; and allowsthe initial home view presented to the guest to remain simple anduncluttered. In one embodiment, the partner may define which channelsare available free of charge versus which channels are offered for afee. For example, channels containing promotional information may beoffered free of charge, whereas the partner may choose to charge forchannels that stream Internet TV. In one example, “for charge” channelsmay only be accessed within a session where the guest has alreadyelected to pay for network service as part of the sign-in process;whereas free channels may be access outside of a session. In anotherembodiment, generally only free channels may be offered to guests;however, for-charge channels may be offered to guests who log-in via thepartner's rewards program or as existing members of the portablecomputer service provider community, as discussed above with referenceto FIG. 8. According to one embodiment, the user interface is configuredto prevent any channels accessible from outside a session from acceptingany personal information from guests. This may also be implementedwithin a session for guests who are not members of the portable computerservice provider or rewards program members. In one embodiment, customchannels set up by the partner, as discussed above, can be configured(through the parameters associated with the channel) to prevent personalinformation from being gathered from guests outside a session, whileenabling such functionality for guests who have already agreed to theterms of service.

As discussed above, within a session, the home view may be configurableby the guest. The guest may add new cards, and in some instances deletecards. As discussed above, certain cards, such as the default cards setup by the portable computer service provider and the partner's brandedcards may not be deleted by the guest. Accordingly, in one example, aguest is only able to delete cards that the guest has previously addedduring a session. In one embodiment, the guest may re-arrange cards,optionally including some of the default cards and/or partner brandedcards, even though the guest cannot delete these cards. According tosome embodiments, the new web card is further limited in configurabilityin that the positioning of the card will not change relative to theother cards. For example, the new web card will always be displayedlast. In other embodiments, even the new web card may be reorganized inthe home view by the guest.

In one embodiment, the guest may rearrange the cards in the home viewusing “drag and drop” procedures commonly used in computer userinterfaces. Drag and drop operations may be associated with a dragthreshold. In one example, a drag threshold is applied to require asmall movement of the identified card before the portable computerexecutes the drag operation. The drag threshold may be measured on theorder of pixels, and may be any number of pixels that prevent accidentaldragging in response to the user attempting to click on a card. In oneembodiment, the drag threshold is set to 5 pixels. Other thresholds maybe used, for example, 2, 3, 4, 6, . . . pixels, etc. If a guestdepresses the button control (e.g., on a mouse, touch pad or the scrollwheel) and does not release, the guest may user drag and drop theselected card within the home view. The card may be dragged across pagesof the home view, and the guest may reorder the presentation of cards inthe home view using multiple drag and drop operations. According to oneembodiment, as a card is dragged across the home view, all displacedcards will appear to move into new places.

In some instances, the guest will add a sufficient number of new cardsthat not all the cards will fit on a single page of the home view 420.Accordingly, the home view 420 may span multiple pages. Referring againto FIG. 10, in one embodiment, for home views which include multiplepages, a hint or cut out of adjacent cards are rendered at 1010, forexample. Hints or cut outs 1010 of adjacent cards may occur at thebottom of the display screen, the top of the display screen, and bothtop and bottom, where multiple adjacent pages are present. A scroll bar1020 may be provided to allow the guest to scroll through the multiplepages of the home view 420. In one embodiment, the body 580 of the homeview 420 is associated with a maximal display threshold. The maximaldisplay threshold governs the number of cards 510 displayed per homeview page. The portable computer generates a new page display for thehome view 420 in response to the number of cards 510 exceeding themaximal display threshold.

As discussed above, one of the default cards 510 included in the homeview 420 is the new web card 840. In one embodiment, the portablecomputer service provider provides a template for the new web card 840designed to host links to multiple websites, for example, websitesrelated to the home-page website, and services from within the new webcard. When a partner chooses to use this template for the new web card,the partner may specify a number of unique bookmarks, for example, 2-6bookmarks, that appear in a grid within new web cards, pointing gueststo useful and relevant information. In one example, each bookmark isspecified with the following information: a URL; a title, and an image.The URL is the URL of the website to which the new web card initiallypoints to, which is loaded when then bookmark is clicked by the guest.The guest may then modify this URL, for example, by typing in a new URL,to configure the new web card into a guest custom web card. In oneexample, when a guest creates and saves a web card, a replacement newweb card is automatically generated and appears at the bottom rightcorner of the home view 420. The title is a short title that accompaniesthe bookmark image, identifying its content. The image is a still PNGimage that represents the bookmark within the grid.

New cards may also be created during a browsing session. For example, ifthe guest clicks an “open in new window” link on a web page, or executesa keyboard shortcut (e.g. Shift-click) to perform the same function, anew card may be generated. In one example, responsive to any of theseactions, the system shows an animation zooming out of the current cardto the home view, where the “new web card” 940 may slide out of the way,revealing the new card in its place, and finally zooming into the newcard. In one example, this animation may take no more than about half asecond.

According to one embodiment, a guest may select a card 510, and therebyaccess the content associated with that card, by clicking the card. Inone embodiment, clicking a card causes the card to expand to provide anenlarged view, optionally over a background of the home view or anotherbackground image, or even a full-screen view of the card. Alternatively,at least for certain cards or types of cards, clicking the card directlyaccesses the content associated with that card, for example, opening theweb page corresponding to a selected web card, or displaying the channelassociated with a selected channel card. The guest may also see optionsand configurability associated with the card 510 by “focusing” on thecard. Computer focus is intended to include any identification by thecomputer system of the card, short of execution of the mappingassociated with the card. For example, focus should includeidentification by tabbing through available cards, identification byusing hotkeys, among other options that result in computer focusresolving on the card. One example of computer focus includes “hover,”which indicates the movement of a pointer, typically represented by awhite arrow on the computer system display, over a card. Focus may beresolved on a computer system by analyzing content intended to bedisplayed before its display on the computer system, additionally focusmay be responsive to actions taken on the display through for examplepointing devices. The terms computer focus and focus are intended to beread to include hovering over a screen element, tool, or other visualrepresentation displayed on a computer system display. In one example,focus follows a displayed pointer, and movement of the pointer with, forexample, a mouse causes the computer system to resolve computer focus onthe visual object under the pointer display. Selection by a user or acomputer system may include focus and visual objects displayed on acomputer system display may be selected by moving a displayed pointer.In some embodiments, selection may be accomplished by clicking on avisual object using a pointer displayed on the computer screen. A second“click” may then cause the computer system to execute functionalityassociated with the visual object. Execution is intended to be read toinclude initiating an operation associated with a visual object, such asa card or button. In one example execution will include clicking on avisual object (single or multiple “clicks”), by positioning a pointerdisplay over the visual object and depressing a button to initiate theoperation.

According to one embodiment, when cards 510 are displayed in the homeview 420, minimal information is displayed in the header, so as not toclutter the small card; however when the card appears in a hover state,additional options/tools are displayed in the card header. In oneembodiment, when the card appears in the hover state, the card headermay include tools for providing easy access to computer functionalityassociated with the card. For example, the options bar 550 may notappear in the card header generally, but may appear when a guest hoverson the card. In one example, in response to focus on a card the displayof the card becomes a little larger relative to its display when out offocus, and the card options bar 550 and/or other information is revealedin the header 520 when the card is in a focused state. In one example,hovering on the options bar reveals a “drop-down” menu from which theguest may select various options for the card, as discussed furtherbelow. In another example, the options bar 550 is clickable, andclicking the options bar may cause an animation displaying the flippingover of the card and the revealing of user-selectable options on the“back” side of the card. In one embodiment, the first time a guestenters a focus view of any card during a session, a transient dialogbubble appears from the home logo icon, for example, to inform the guestof how to return to the home view.

Referring to FIG. 11 there is illustrated a block diagram of one exampleof a back side of a card 1110 displaying various options for the card.The back side of the card 1110 may also include a header 1120 in whichthe name or a brief description 1130 of the card is displayed,optionally along with an image or icon 1140, to identify the card to theuser. Options may include, for example, permitting the content reflectedin the card to be displayed as a screen saver, or deleting the card.Certain features may only be available for certain types of cards. Inone embodiment for example only channel cards may be displayed in thescreensaver mode, thus only channel cards will display the screensaveroption 1150 to permit display in screensaver. In another embodiment,certain card types may be converted through user selection intodifferent card types. For example, in one embodiment, web cards may beconverted into channel cards, and therefore web cards may include aconversion option 1160. The selection of the “show as a channel” option1160 causes the portable computer to execute functionality thattransforms the web card into a channel card. In one embodiment, thetransformation may only be made for a web card that references a contentincluding an RSS feed or for which customized visualizations areavailable. Channel cards that have been created from web cards mayinclude an option (not shown in FIG.11) to convert the channel card backinto a web card. In one embodiment, cards that are created by a guestduring a session include a delete option 1170 that removes the card fromthe home view 420. As discussed above, the delete option may beunavailable for any default cards or partner branded cards. A “done” orsimilar button 1180 may be provided to allow the user to return to thefront view of the card or home view.

According to one embodiment, when a session ends, the portable computeris reset to its session defaults. This erases any and all history of thesession, restoring the default cards and settings. Ending a session mayinclude, for example, clearing all cookies and web history, restoringall default cards, removing any cards added by the guest, resetting thevolume on the portable computer, resetting the screen brightness on theportable computer, resetting the screensaver to the partner-selecteddefault, and entering a power saving mode. Once the session defaultshave been fully reset the welcome screen appears, ready for the nextguest to arrive. In one embodiment where the guest is a rewards programmember or member of the portable computer service provider community, asdiscussed above, although the portable computer is reset to its defaultconfiguration, changes to the configurations saved under the guest'sprofile may be retained under the guest's profile such that when theguest next accesses their profile their updates are available to them.Sessions may end in one of two ways, namely, either by an explicitaction on behalf of the guest, or following an idle timeout.

As discussed above, in one embodiment, the header of the home viewincludes a “sign-out” button 730 to end the session. As discussed above,placement of the “sign-out” button 730 within the header 570 keeps itpersistently available so that the guest may never get lost without away to end their session. In one example, on hover, the “sign-out”button 730 turns red to indicate that it will end the guest's session.Once the “sign-out” button 730 is clicked, the portable computer returnsto the home view automatically and the welcome bubble fades back in atopthe user interface. The bubble may contains a message thanking the guestfor using the portable computer, and letting them know that the deviceis been cleared of their personal information. In one example, theportable computer is configured to execute a visual animation of thesession ending. For example, the cards in the home view all fall off thescreen to visually emphasize the point of the guest's information beingerased, and a progress bar is displayed while the portable computerfinishes the reset process. The default cards for the first page of thehome view begin appearing as the progress advances. Once the reset iscomplete, the bubble returns to the default welcome screen state, readyfor the next guest to arrive. In one embodiment, although portablecomputer sessions are not equivalent to traditional sign-in and sign-outsystems since no user name or password may be required, guests may befamiliar with these terms and already understand the concept of “signingout” to erase their history and reset the device for others. Therefore,the term “sign out” is used on the button which ends the session toretain the conceptual familiarity and provide a corresponding sense ofsecurity.

Although many guests may end their sessions explicitly, the portablecomputer may also be configured to end sessions after a predeterminedtime period of inactivity to protect guests' privacy as well as toensure that the portable computers are ready for new guests. Theduration of the time period before which the session will endautomatically may vary greatly based upon the location and circumstancesin which the portable computer is used. In a hotel room, for instance,the usage of the portable computer will generally span a full night, andtherefore the portable computer may wait several hours before implicitlyending a session. In crowded public spaces such as coffee shops, on theother hand, the delay may be as little as a minute. The delay may bechosen in conjunction with the partner. In one example, after theportable computer has sat idle for the specified delay period, a dialogbubble appears to query whether the guest has finished using theportable computer and displays a countdown, for example, a 30 secondcountdown. If no action is taken, the portable computer automaticallyends the session at the end of the countdown. However, the guest mayprevent the session from ending by clicking the dialog bubble, forexample, which resets the idle timer and restores the previous view theguest has selected. In one embodiment, the portable computer isconfigured to override the idle timer under certain circumstances. Forexample, if the guest is watching a movie, the guest may not touch theportable computer, which may appear idle; however, the portable computercan override the idle timer so as not to end a session during a movie,or similar type of activity.

According to another embodiment, a guest may suspend the portablecomputer by closing it. After this occurs, there is no guarantee thatthe same guest will later return to the portable computer and wake it.Accordingly, session may be ended implicitly immediately following waketo prevent another guest from arriving an accessing the portablecomputer in a previous guest's session, compromising that guest'ssecurity and privacy and interfering with the new guest's own intendedguest experience. Following wake, the dialog bubble confirming activeuse may be skipped altogether, with the portable computer implicitlyending the session and restoring the defaults as quickly as possible. Inone embodiment, this process happens as part of the waking process,before anything is shown on screen, so that the first visual displayedis the welcome screen. Similarly, if the portable computer is shut down,the first screen that appears when the portable computer is booted up isthe welcome screen. The portable computer may be configured such that,after boot up, the welcome screen is displayed for a predetermined timeperiod, after which the portable computer displays the partner'sselected preferred channel(s) in the passive mode.

According to one embodiment, in a hotel environment, the “time-out”period, and optionally other settings, of portable computers located inhotel rooms can be linked to guest check-in and/or check-outinformation. Referring to FIG. 12, in this example, each in-roomportable computer 100 may be provided with a unique identifier 1210 suchthat specific information can be communicated to the portable computersvia the cloud 410 from the hotel's computer system 1220. For example,when a guest checks in to a hotel, the hotel system 1220 may transferinformation to the portable computer 100 located in the guest's room.This information may include, for example, if the guest is a rewardsprogram member, the guest's rewards program number such that the querystep 820 can be skipped during the process of initiating a session (seeFIG. 8) and the portable computer automatically accesses the guest'srewards program profile and makes available all additional functionalityassociated therewith (such as offering for charge channels, as discussedabove) when the guest initiates a session on the in-room portablecomputer. The information may also include the duration of the guest'sstay, such that the idle timer on the in-room portable computer may beset to automatically end a session at the hotel's designated check-outtime on the day the guest is scheduled to leave. In another example, acheck-out feature can be offered, either as a dedicated channel or aspart of a hotel services channel, to allow the guest to check-out of thehotel via the portable computer 100. In this example, the portablecomputer 100 transfers the guest's check-out information, including anycharges for pay-channels and/or other services purchased via theportable computer, to the hotel system 1220. Upon confirmation of theguest's check-out, the portable computer 100 automatically ends thesession and may display the session ending visualizations discussedabove. In one example, the portable computer displays a dialog bubblewhen the guest selects the check-out option to warn the guest that theirsession will be automatically terminated upon completion of thecheck-out procedure.

As discussed above, partners may include one or more custom channelswithin each of the one or more configurations and/or layers they define.At least one of these custom channels may include a promotional channelthat provides advertizing and optionally offers items and/or servicesfor purchase to the guests. Promotional content may be varied based onthe a variety of factors including, for example, the location of theportable computers, environmental information provided to the portablecomputers via the cloud, partner-specific information, such as thestatus of various services offered by the partner, and guestinformation. For example, in the hotel context, promotional content maybe selected based on the configuration layer of the portable computer(e.g., its location with a hotel room, lobby or other area),environmental information, such as weather information, news, orinformation regarding local events, obtained via the cloud, andknowledge of the guests' status as guests of the hotel. Thus, asdiscussed above, promotional advertizing and/or offering of services isdynamically variable and contextual based on multiple contextdimensions, including location, environment and guest status. Bycontrast, conventional advertizing is generally either not dynamicallyvariable in the short term (e.g., a static billboard, poster orbulletin) or based on only a single context dimension, such as locationfor example.

Referring to FIG. 13, there is illustrated an example hotel networkincluding the hotel system 1220 connected to portable computerscorresponding to three different configuration layers, namely a lobbyconfiguration 100 a, a room configuration 100 b and a spa configuration100 c, via the cloud 410. It is to be appreciated that any configurationlayer may include multiple portable computers; therefore, portablecomputers 100 a, 100 b and 100 c are intended to be representative ofall the partner's portable computers, within a given location, havingthat configuration layer. Similarly, the system may include more orfewer than three configuration layers. Accordingly, the illustration ofFIG. 13 is intended to be a non-limiting example only. The hotel system1220 may have information include, for example, reservation information,hotel restaurant availability, spa services availability, etc. Thisinformation, or parts thereof, can be communicated to some or all of theportable computers 100 a-c and used to change the promotionaladvertizing and/or services displayed by the portable computers. Forexample, if the hotel system 1120 determines that there is significantspa service availability during a given time period, the hotel systemmay communicate this information to the portable computer system in thecloud 410, which may then configure the portable computers 100 a-c todisplay an offering of a discount for select spa services during thegiven time period. Similarly, availability information may be used tooffer discounts in the hotel restaurant.

Promotional content may also be varied based on time. For example, aftera certain time (e.g., 9 pm or 10 pm), the promotional content mayhighlight the hotel's late-night room-service menu, or early in themorning, the promotional content may highlight the breakfast menu.Promotional content may also be varied based on calendar days, days ofthe week (for example, weekday content may be different from weekendcontent), holidays, seasons, historical days or special event days.

According to one embodiment, promotional content may be varied onindividual in-room portable computers based on specific guestinformation. For example, referring again to FIG. 12, if a guestpurchases a certain item or service via the in-room portable computer100 with a unique identifier 1210, information of that purchase can beprovided to the hotel system 1220, which may then update the promotionalcontent for that specific portable computer to offer that guest relateditems or services. For example, if a guest purchases a spa treatment,the promotional content of the portable computer may be updated to offerthe guest discounts on spa products. In another example, the guest'sprofile may provide information regarding services the guest has usedpreviously, or events or activities the guest has previouslyparticipated in, and the promotional content may be varied to offerthese or similar or related services/activities to the guest.Promotional content may also be varied according to events, sales orspecial offers being offered by the partner facility and/or nearby orrelated businesses to encourage guests to participate in such events andvisit the promoted businesses. In another example, if the hotel ishosting an event with availability, the promotional content may beupdated to invite guests to attend the event. Promotional content mayalso be varied based on a guest's status as a rewards program member.For example, the guest may be offered a variety of items, services ordiscounts that can be “purchased” using the guest's rewards points.Thus, the hotel system 1220 may work cooperatively with the portablecomputer system managing the partner profile to dynamically update thepromotional content displayed by individual portable computers or groupsof portable computers (e.g., all those with a given configuration layer)in one or more channels.

In one embodiment, the portable computer system may be configured toconnect to and/or obtain information from a guest's personal digitalnetwork, such as TWITTER, FACEBOOK, instant messaging applications, orother applications that provide information regarding the locationand/or status of the guest. For example, the guest may connect to theirpersonal digital network(s) via the cloud 410 using the portablecomputer 100, and the portable computer may be configured to useinformation provided by the guest in the personal digital network toupdate or change promotional content offered to the guest. Promotionalcontent may further be varies based on the digital content accessed bythe guest on the portable computer. For example, if the guest uses a webcard to access a particular website, the portable computer may vary thepromotional content based on the type of website accessed by the guestthrough the web card. Similarly, if the guest uses a channel card towatch live TV, the promotional content may be changed based on the TVchannels/programs selected for viewing by the guest.

According to another embodiment, the portable computer systems usesenvironment and/or location-based information obtained from theInternet, along with guest status information, to update the promotionalcontent displayed by the portable computers. For example, an in-roomportable computer 100 b may “know” that any guests using it are verylikely to be guests of the hotel, and therefore travelers. As discussedabove, the portable computer may include a weather channel that receiveslocal weather information via an RSS stream. Accordingly, for example,the portable computer system may know that it is raining at a givenlocation and that travelers are unlikely to pack an umbrella, andtherefore may configure the promotional channel to offer an umbrella tothe guest, for example, by informing the guest that umbrellas areavailable from the hotel lobby or gift shop, or by allowing the guest topurchase an umbrella through the portable computer 100 b. The portablecomputer system may also monitor which services/items are mostfrequently selected by guests, and highlight those services/items in thepromotional content. Thus, the promotional content is dynamicallyvariable based on location/environment as well as guest status, and thesystem is able to offer the most relevant advertizing or services toparticular guests at any given time.

According to one embodiment, one or more channels are configured toallow the guest to purchase viewed content directly though the portablecomputer. For example, as discussed above, the guest may be able topurchase offered items, such as the umbrella in the example above, oritems associated with the hotel such as spa services. Guests may also beable to purchase items of the room-service menu (if it is included in achannel provided by the partner). In one example, purchases may be madein accord with conventional on-line purchasing arrangements. Forexample, the guest may “click” items to place them in a “cart” and thenfollow a check-out procedure in which the guest enters information topay for the items. For example, the guest may enter credit cardinformation, or rewards points. In one example, purchasing may be linkedto the guest's reservation with the hotel, such that purchased items areadded to the guest's bill (through communication via the cloud betweenthe portable computer and the hotel system as discussed above),obviating the need for the guest to enter any billing information tomake the purchase. In another example, rather than having a “shoppingcart” arrangement, guests may obtain offered items/services through a“one-click” ordering system. Specifically, the guest simply clicks on anitem in channel that has the “one-click” feature enabled, and a signalis sent to the hotel system to provide the guest with the selected item,without requiring any check-out procedures. For example, if the guestclicks on a food item in the room-service menu, the portable computermay send a signal to the hotel system including an identifier thatidentifies the guest's room and the selected item, and the hotel systeminstructs hotel staff to deliver the selected food item to the guest'sroom. Channels with this feature enabled may display a briefinstructional bubble when first accessed by a guest during a session towarn the guest that clicking on at least certain items will cause thoseitems to be directly purchased.

Groups of portable computers may also be defined and provided withrelated content. For example, a group may be defined that includes theportable computers from all the rooms of related guests; for example,guests that check-in together as a family, or guests that check-in undera particular group, such as for a wedding, conference or other event.Each portable computer associated with the group may be provided withsynchronous or related content, or content that is responsive to anaction taken by a guest using one of the group portable computers. Forexample, if a family or group of friends has booked two rooms and aguest in one room orders a spa treatment or in-room dining, the portablecomputer in the other guest's room may highlight spa treatmentadvertisements or the in-room service menu. For an event such as awedding or conference, all portable computers in the rooms of guestsassociated with the event may be configured to display content relatedto the event, including advertisements or services that would typicallybe associated with the event or which are selected by other guestsassociated with the event. Thus, the promotional content offered tomembers of a group may be affected by or varied based on activity ofother members of the group.

It is to be appreciated that although the above examples refer primarilyto portable computers deployed within a hotel, similar features andfunctionality may be provided for any type of partner facility, notlimited to hotels. For example, portable computers and systems relatedthereto may be provided in a wide variety of partner facilities,including cruise lines, taxi cabs, airlines, buses, trains, boats,hospitals, spas, retail stores, and other publicly accessible locations.

In one embodiment, the partner may create branded cards that provideaccess to content, including contextual advertizing and/or serviceofferings, that relate to a particular type of experience. For example,a partner may define a “family vacation” channel card that providesaccess to news and local information that would be most likely be ofinterest to guests on a family vacation, such as, for example,child-friendly local events and activities, along with targetedadvertizing and/or promotions. Providing such cards may allow thepartner to group content targeted to specific types of guests in aconvenient, easy-to-access manner, without cluttering the home view.

As discussed above, the portable computer is highly reliant on access tothe cloud and therefore may require a network connection to function asintended. Accordingly, as discussed above, partners provide networkconfigurations as part of at least one configuration layer of eachconfiguration they create, each one specifying one or more storednetworks that the portable computers can connect to. This ensures thatall a partner's portable computers will connect to a networkautomatically, and remain connected to the specified network, withoutrequiring intervention by the guests. In some circumstances, a portablecomputer may lose the connection to the network. This could mean one oftwo things, namely that the network connection is temporarilyunavailable due to a problem with the device itself, or a disruption ofthe network with which it is configured, or that the portable computerhas been stolen or removed from the partner's chosen location. Accordingto one embodiment, when a network connection is lost and none of thenetworks specified within the configuration connect successfully, afull-screen modal message appears on the portable computer displayscreen. This message may handle both of the above cases, as there willlikely be no way to distinguish them. In one embodiment, the messagetakes over the entire screen and prevents any interaction with theportable computer until a network connection is reestablished. Thisprevents any unauthorized access on a stolen portable computer. Themessage may convey that the portable computer needs to be connected tothe network provided by the partner, and optionally may display thepartner's name and address, and provide instructions for contacting theappropriate parties to return the device or request technicalassistance. Since there is significant variety in the type of actionthat is to be taken to request assistance, for example, requestingassistance may entail calling a helpline at a hotel, taking the portablecomputer to the IT department in a school or library, or simply passingthe portable computer over the counter in a coffee shop, the assistancemessage/screen is configurable by the partner. The portable computer maycontinue to attempt to automatically reconnect to the network while thisscreen is displayed. In one example, feedback in the form of anasynchronous progress indicator is provided to let the guest know thatthe portable computer is trying to fix itself.

Thus, aspects and embodiments provide for portable computers, andnetworks incorporating portable computers specifically configured fortransient, public use. As discussed above, integration with theInternet, the unique form factor and user interface, and dual active andpassive modes of embodiments of the portable computer offer manybenefits in public spaces, including significant passive functionalityas well as secure, easy-to-use Internet access and web-focusedoperations for transient users. Partners have great flexibility inconfiguring portable computers, both individually and in groups, withspecific functionality and targeted promotional content based on thelocation of the portable computer and information derivable orobtainable from the partner's existing computer system and/or theInternet. In addition, guests may be provided with a rich, rewarding andsecure computing experience in that they are able to configure the userinterface and access a wide variety of content without having to enteror store personal information on the portable computer. Promotionalcontent and offered services are dynamically configurable and may belocation-based, environment-based and/or guest status-based, asdiscussed above, thereby providing unique benefits and opportunities notavailable through conventional computing or personal electronicsdevices.

Having thus described several aspects of at least one embodiment, it isto be appreciated various alterations, modifications, and improvementswill readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations,modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of thisdisclosure and are intended to be within the scope of the invention.Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way ofexample only, and the scope of the invention should be determined fromproper construction of the appended claims, and their equivalents.

1. A method of contextually providing services via a portable computerat a selected location, the method comprising: determininglocation-specific information about the selected location; determiningstatus information about a user of the portable computer interface; anddisplaying an available service to the user on a display screen of theportable computer, the available service being selected based on thelocation-specific information and the status information.
 2. The methodas claimed in claim 1, further comprising determining time-basedinformation; and wherein the available service is selected based on thelocation-specific information, the status information and the time-basedinformation.
 3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the selectedlocation is a hotel; and wherein the status information includes theuser's status a guest at the hotel.
 4. The method as claimed in claim 3,wherein the location-specific information includes services offered atthe hotel.
 5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein thelocation-specific information includes at least one of weatherinformation, news, and an event at the selected location.
 6. The methodas claimed in claim 1, further comprising: accepting an input from theuser via the portable computer interface to allow the user to purchasethe available service; and updating a user profile to indicate purchaseof the available service.
 7. The method as claimed in claim 1, furthercomprising linking a plurality of portable computers located at theselected location to form a group of portable computers including afirst portable computer and a second portable computer.
 8. The method asclaimed in claim 7, further comprising updating the available servicedisplayed on the display screen of the second portable computerresponsive to user activity on the first portable computer.
 9. Themethod as claimed in claim 8, wherein the user activity on the firstportable computer includes purchase of the available service by theuser.
 10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein displaying theavailable service includes displaying the same available service on thedisplay screen of each portable computer in the group of portablecomputers, the available service being selected based on thelocation-specific information and the status information of the user ofthe first portable computer.
 11. A computer system configured tocontextually provide services to a plurality of transient users at afacility located at a specified location, the computer systemcomprising: a plurality of portable computers located at the facility,each portable computer including a network connection, a display screenand a user interface configured to receive inputs from the plurality oftransient users and to display digital content on the display screen;computer storage separate from the plurality of portable computers andcoupled to each of the plurality of portable computers via therespective network connection; and a facility computer system coupled tothe computer storage and to the plurality of portable computers, thefacility computer system configured to provide facility-specificinformation to the plurality of portable computers; wherein the digitalcontent displayed on the display screen of a first portable computer ofthe plurality of portable computers includes an available serviceselected based on status information of at least one of the plurality oftransient users and at least one of the facility-specific informationand location-specific information about the specified location.
 12. Thecomputer system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first portablecomputer is configured to receive the location-specific information fromthe Internet via the network connection.
 13. The computer system asclaimed in claim 12, wherein the location-specific information includesat least one of weather information, news, and events within apredetermined distance from the specified location.
 14. The computersystem as claimed in claim 11, wherein available service is furtherselected based on at least one of a time and a date of access of thefirst portable computer by the at least one transient user.
 15. Thecomputer system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the facility-specificinformation includes an event at the facility.
 16. The computer systemas claimed in claim 11, wherein the facility is a hotel and wherein thestatus information includes the at least one transient user's status asa guest at the hotel.
 17. The computer system as claimed in claim 11,wherein the plurality of portable computers further includes a secondportable computer; and wherein the first and second portable computersare linked to form a group.
 18. The computer system as claimed in claim17, wherein the digital content displayed on the display screen of thesecond portable computer includes the same available service displayedon the display screen of the first portable computer.
 19. The computersystem as claimed in claim 17, wherein the digital content displayed onthe display screen of the second portable computer includes contentselected based on interaction of a first transient user with the firstportable computer.